This Little Light of Mine...

Have I mentioned that I LOVE our new Goodwill Store? While searching for containers for potential Montessori works, I discovered this flashlight for .59cents. Can't beat that!

Anyway, add some D batteries and a tray and you have a flashlight work for under $5.00. One little boy in the group is lovin' this work! He likes to build, put things together AND to take things apart. The flash light work is his new favorite material.

This month we've been talking about candles, the sun, light, shiny and dull, bright and dark etc; so this work has found a home on our shelves not a moment to soon.

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!
PEACE
~MM

Mystery Bag by Montessori Mama

Hello Everyone,
As I mentioned I recently took a long car trip with my boys. While traveling (with Montessori Papa at the wheel)I made use of the time to sew this Mystery Bag.
The fabric was wrapping paper around a birthday gift, given to me by my friend Angela for my 30th b-day, colorful spirals because I LOVE spirals, and bright colors because I almost always wear black and she wanted to give me something "cheery".

This Monday it was my 35th birthday. It occurred to me that for five years this fabric has sat under somethings on a shelf. I've passed by it and admired it but that's all. I wanted to make something with it that would get enjoyed often.
And so, I made a Mystery Bag from it! My kiddos have always loved playing with our classroom mystery bag, I am confident they will love it even more because of the cheery colors and of course, the spirals.

I had the most wonderful birthday by the way, I was asked by a friend to attend the birth of her first child! I have always wanted to be a Doula (birthing assistant) and for my birthday this year my wish came true. It was one of the most amazing, miraculous, phantasmagorical experiences of my life! Baby Lydia was born at 2pm on August 12th, even though her incredible Mama had been in labor since 6am on August 11th!!!

Lydia weighed nine pounds 11 oz!!!! She was born with a full head of curly dark brown hair and long fingernails (she was almost two weeks late). I will never ever forget the past two days. To take part in the beauty, intensity, and love that filled those hours of labor...I feel honored and blessed to be included in it all.
Thank you Lydia and family for the BEST birthday gift I've ever received.

PEACE to all, enjoy your babies (big and small).
~MM

When You're Two Everything is New

Rain puddles, slugs, day lily flowers, ice cream cones, sandbox adventuring, the ocean's waves tickling your toes, throwing a ball, spreading pizza sauce and tearing lettuce leaves, rainbow colored Duplo blocks that fit together....

Here Little One discovers a slug.
I believe children are spiritual beings who can bring us adults to that joyous place of wonder.
IF we pay attention that is. It is very easy to get lost in the stresses of our adult lives, isn't it?

"Wonder is an exceedingly important stimulus for the human spirit. It can arise only from an attentive observation of reality. Education to wonder is correlative with an education that helps us to go always more deeply into reality. If we skim over things we will never be surprised by them. Wonder is not an emotion of superficial people; it strikes root only in the person whose mind is able to settle and rest in things; in the person who is capable of stopping and looking." Sofia Cavalletti

And so a small orange/brownish slug that I might have stepped over (or possibly accidentally stepped on) became a catalyst of my education.

"Pause a while, ponder a moment and then begin again." ~ my Mama used to say
What will your children teach you today?
PEACE~~MM

Matching Sets Made by MM

What to do with an old Sierra Club Engagement Calendar? Throw it away? Recycle it?
NO, Re-use it!
Yes, cut the beautiful nature photos out and make matching sets. This was my idea.....months ago, January I think. But here you go, finally completed and ready to be used. Laminating and color copies cost you quit a bit of $, so if you can time it right and hit the copy place on a sale day this project will be worth it. If not you'll save money to buy a set from Montessori Services. I had fun and enjoy making things with my hands, as you know, so these sets were created. My plan is to give one set to each of the new classrooms at our new location.

YES! Cornerspring is expanding!! I am so happy to announce I will be heading back into the Montessori classroom full time again this fall. Little One will be my sidekick and the toddler class will number ten students with two teachers. I can't wait to get started. I know I will miss quiet mornings around here with Little One, Nora Jones and my two cats vying for my lap...but lets be realistic those mornings don't happen very often and the wolf is often at the door (or rather calling me on the phone asking for a payment I can't make). Getting back into the classroom and bringing money in to help pay off these piles of bills will be good for my spirit and good for my family.
Toddlers are my favorite age group to work with (i.e. learn from) They have so much to teach!
I love observing the look of concentration on a toddler's face while they attempt to pour water...indicated so often by them sticking out their tongue...it's priceless. This is a time of firsts, of sensorial exploration and discovery, and of learning how they feel and identifying the needs of their small bodies. This is a busy year and they are busy little people. Keeping up with them is my joy, slowing them down to help them build those concentration skills, comforting them while they express their ever changing emotions, and providing them with many opportunities for learning is my work in the classroom. Sharing the toddler's individual discoveries, interests and developmental needs as I observe them is my work with their families. I have such empathy for the parent parting with their young child. I make it my goal to connect with every family, to ask questions and to share experiences. I am the window they view their child's day through; it's important that I am clear and open.

Creating the 'Nest' will be my summer's work. Creating materials and designing the space, making purchases and planning curriculum choices....these are some of my favorite things.
Providing Little One with an opportunity to get to know other children his age, social exploration and exposure to more Montessori materials than we can provide him here at home is pretty exciting to think about also. I'm sure I will post more on this topic over the next few months!

Matching Sets:
cut images from calendars, magazines or photos you take!
have color copies made
mat them on sturdy paper
laminate & cut
*These particular cards will also make wonderful conversation starters for young children.
Most importantly: Have fun, nurture YOUR creativity and enjoy your creations.
Your children are sure to enjoy them as much as you do!
In PEACE
~~MM

Sorting Color Rings

Little Man enjoyed this morning's sensorial activity: Sorting Color Rings. It was easy make (and inexpensive too!)
Here's what you need:
a package of color rings
a three wooden peg
glue
a basket for storing
Here's what you do:
Glue three different colored rings to the wooden peg surface to indicate which color ring belongs where (either a gradation of colors light to dark or three very different colors for example red, blue and yellow would be another great set of three to use. I only found blue and white rings in the clearance bin at the dollar store so...this is what I ended up with.
Next provide child with basket of mixed colors...and Viola!

(Please excuse the lack of rug, Little One has been moving table top activities to the floor these days and if I want the photo I've got to get it when I can...)
He made me smile when he added his Binky to the post! Too funny.


Today is Thursday!
I'll share today's Art + Play this afternoon.
In PEACE
MM

Color Sorting and Spinning

Little One enjoys matching things. I brought out this box of wooden shapes expecting he would enjoy matching the shapes to create an image. I went to get the camera and returned to find him sorting by color groups! I was surprised and I interrupted him. The color sorting stopped and spinning around in the colors began. You'd think I'd know by now NOT to interrupt a child while they are concentrating. Sometimes we forget what we know when we are excited. I am a life long learner, Little One is my teacher and well, spinning IS fun.
Enjoy your children. Allow them to 'be'.
Follow their lead and they will teach you.
~~MM

Scooping with a tool

Little One is progressing from whole hand scooping to using a tool and loving it! Today's Red Bin discovery was water play with floating flowers (plastic ice cubes not cold), a slotted spoon, blue strainer, baster and a bowl to fill up and dump out!
He LOVED this and got very wet while having fun.
Enjoy the moments
~~MM

Color Sorting

Color Sorting: Montessori on a Budget

Materials needed:
plastic ice cubes (shaped like flowers, six of each color) found at the dollar store
clear plastic egg cartons
plastic dessert cups sold in a set of four at Rite Aid in the dollar bin

Little One enjoyed sorting these colorful flowers into the egg cups. Since eggs have been the only thing he has been putting in egg cartons lately, sorting something new proved to be a big attraction.
(These ice cubes float also! Watch for more practical life works using these coming soon!)

Although I wish there was less plastic involved, I'm happy to be making use of the plastic egg container (we usually get the cardboard ones but I bought late [just before Easter] and the plastic ones were all the store had at the time). Recycle!

*Note:
Color sorting is one goal of this work however, if your Little One is not ready for color sorting, simply placing the flowers in the individual egg cups is also valuable for small hands/eye coordination, concentration and independence.
Enjoy!
~~MM

More Red Bin Discoveries

Remember the red bin I borrowed from my friend Paula? This weekend we filled it with sand and then water! Little One LOVED both of these new sensorial experiences and obviously got "into" his learning. Apparently the bin is too big? Using a wooden spoon he filled and dumped his blue strainer. I took a dozen photos before he notice me. It was very a very peaceful experience for him.

For water exploration I put the bin up on a low table and my nine year old joined in on the fun. Thankfully, Little One did not take a swim. This little blue strainer was a such find! I discovered it at Rite Aid for $1!!! Montessori on a budget after all.
(Please forgive me if I have posted about the strainer before, I adore it and so does Little One)
With water play I offered natural sponges, bottles to fill and pour, and a clear measuring cup with a handle. Big brother had fun entertaining his little brother, pouring water from up high into the strainer only to have it splash up the sides and into his brother's face. I quickly redirected this behavior. Everybody loves a clown, except an almost two year old who just got water splashed in his face.
Tune in next time to see what else fills up the "Red Bin".
Take care
~~MM

Playing with Blocks: The Pink Tower

In the Montessori classroom (3-6) we introduce the Pink Tower to the three-year-old as part of the sensorial work to help develop the sense of visual discrimination. The Pink Tower stands prominently in the classroom-ten pink colored cubes, the largest measuring 10 centimeters on each side, and the smallest a one-centimeter cube. When Dr. Montessori designed them she painted them pink to draw the children to them. And yes it does!

To work with the Pink Tower, the child carries, with both hands, one block at a time to a work rug. Ten trips over and ten trips back get all the blocks to the rug. This activity builds concentration and memory. As the child works with the Pink Tower, the child's body and mind are absorbing information that will help in future math activities. At the simplest level, the Pink Tower is a groovy set of pink building blocks. But really it is so much more.

When working with the Pink Tower your child develops:

• concentration
• independent decision making skills
• beginning math concepts of square and cubes
• visual discrimination of 1/2 centimeter
• hands-on experiences with geometric progression
• understanding of physical concepts that aid in later work in algebra and higher mathematics

In addition, many children enjoy drawing the Pink Tower. The Pink Tower lends itself to artwork and challenges the child to figure out how to draw a cube, how to maintain the proportion of the tower, how to shade and more!

The beauty of the Pink Tower is that there are multiple physical concepts embedded in the material, whether we are cognizant of them or not. And it's FUN to build a tower!

A young friend of mine once told me he was done building with the Pink Tower.
"Done?" I asked him. "You use the Pink Tower everyday and you seem to enjoy it. You don't want to build with it anymore?"

"That's right." he said, "I've built it every way you can build it, I've drawn it on paper, I've painted it, I've built it with the brown stairs, and I think I'm done." he said sadly.

"Well," I said, "you can certainly move on to other works whenever you want, it's your choice. I'm wondering however, have you ever looked at the Pink Tower from the floor?"

He looked at me and tilted his head curiously, "From the floor?"he asked.

"Yes, from the floor, the Pink Tower looks very different when you lie down and look up at it from the floor."

"I've never done that!" He exclaimed.

And off he went to build his beloved Pink Tower again and when he was done building, together we lay on the floor and looked up at the pink tower. And using our magic imaginations we saw a plane fly by and a rainbow arch above us. Soon other tall towers were being constructed. The knob-less cylinders made colorful additions to his city, the red rods ran like a fence around the kingdom.

I am happy to share that my young friend is five now and still builds with the Pink Tower. He returns to it after more challenging works are completed. Like a trusted friend he finds comfort in the familiarity of it. And this budding artist has created many drawings of his imaginary city of towers. Many stories have been told about dragons that perch high above the kingdom balancing on one silver toenail on the tiniest pink cube.
I don't think he will be 'done' with the Pink Tower any time soon.

Enjoy your adventures in block play!
~~MM
*credit Maren Schmidt M:magazine

Not Exactly What I Had Planned....

So, I thought my little one would enjoy a new sensorial experience, and I was right! He just jumped right in. My friend Paula loaned me this wonderful red bin, I planned to fill it with sand or water. Because I did not have sand and fearing my little boy might climb in thinking it was bath time, I opted to fill the bin with cotton balls instead. I provided cups for filling and dumping and demonstrated how to do this new activity. Then I left the room briefly and returned to find my little one IN the bin and most of the cotton balls out of the bin.
When he looked up and saw me, he said very clearly,
"IN MAMA!" well yes, he was in wasn't he?

Best laid plans. I am reminded by this whole body exploration, that a toddler's learning is through self discovery. I need to give him the freedom to explore with his senses.
Snow is cold, water is wet, the cats are soft...
to touch and feel it, to smell it, to taste it, to hear it, to see it
For him to learn what it is, understand and grow.
This is his work. And obviously it's fun!

I hope to share more "red bin" discoveries in future posts!
In PEACE
~~MM

A Sense of Wonder

"A child's world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement. It is our misfortune that for most of us that clear-eyed vision, that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring, is dimmed and even lost before we reach adulthood.

If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life, as an unfailing antidote against the boredom and disenchantment of later years, the sterile preoccupation with things that are artificial, the alienation from the sources of our strength. If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder without any such gift from the fairies, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in."

--Rachel Carson

My nine year old took this photo. When he took it I remember asking him why he was taking a picture of sand and he said to me, "Mom, you're just too tall to see what I see."
To which I responded, "What if I kneel?" and he laughed.
This exchange reminded me of at time when a little girl at Cornerspring sat next to the flower bed one spring. I went to her and asked what she was doing, to which she replied,
"Shhhh, I'm listening to the flowers. Can you hear them?"
I told my son this story and he said, "You couldn't could you?"
I answered, "No, but I believed she could."
He smiled and said, "Okay, maybe if you kneel you'll be able to see what I'm taking a photo of. Take another look and I'll try and show you."

Then I saw it. Okay, he had to show me...he saw a face.
Can you see it too?
~~MM

The Beauty and Wonder Table:

A little table or small shelf dedicated to a changing array of beautiful objects from nature.

Some ideas are: sea shells, rocks, pine cones, snake skin, moss covered bark, bird feathers, beach glass, fossils, perhaps even an animal bone or antler discovered on a nature walk.

This area for the classroom is kept tidy, beautiful and is constantly changing. A small basket of magnifying glasses are kept near by for the children to make closer observations.

At the beginning of the school year a letter is sent home to encourage whole family participation in the collection of items for the Beauty & Wonder Table. It is our hope that upon nature walks or while vacationing; families will make discoveries and bring in their treasures to share with
the school community.
Photographs of natural objects have been welcomed additions to our Beauty & Wonder Table when it has not been possible to remove those items from nature.

*Note the binoculars on the floor, a young friend was sitting near by looking out the window at birds prior to me taking this photo.

~~~MM

DO Touch

Children are enthusiastic touchers. They are passionate about touching things, experiencing different surfaces and textures.

So often we say, "Don't touch" but today (because I need the reminding myself), I encourage you to say,
"Do touch" to your children. The sense of touch is a primary way children have of classifying their experiences and learning from them. It is important then, for them to have many opportunities for tactile experiences in the classroom and at home.

Typically you will find the following materials available to children in a Children's House (3-6 year old Montessori program):

A basket containing rough and smooth items:
This is an introductory activity to introduce children to the variety of textures. The basket contains beautiful, natural objects that have interesting textures and that allow the child to classify "rough" and "smooth"
Touch boards
There are 3 boards in this series. The boards (covered with various grades sandpaper) aims are to observe, compare, discriminate and refine the ability to determine different textures.
Touch tablets
A box containing 5 pairs of sandpaper covered tablets. Each pair has a slightly different color and gradation of roughness.
Fabric Box #1
A box or basket containing approximately 8 pairs of different type fabric (velvet, wool, silk, gauze, burlap, corduroy, cotton, satin, linen, muslin, etc.). Each fabric piece is about 6" square and the edges are finished.
Fabric Box #2
The same organization as Box #1 except the fabric is all the same color and varies only in texture.

If you do not have these Montessori materials available to you rest assured. Simple activities such as passing a sea shell found at the beach, can be included in circle activities. By sharing interesting natural objects you will encourage your children to develop their tactile sense, you will offer them new vocabulary when describing the items (rough, smooth, coarse, silky) and you expand their scope of the natural world by exposing them to items they may not have an opportunity to see in their back yard.

If you are able, creating a nature table is a wonderful way to introduce a variety of nature's gifts to young children. It is also a nice way to encourage the children to observe the natural world around them; ask them to bring in objects from nature to share with the group. I think I'll post more about that...

Today I say, "DO TOUCH" and enjoy the sensations and discoveries you may have.
My toddler and I made the following observations this afternoon:
Evergreen trees are prickly, a cat's tongue is rough, the inside of my fancy shoe is smooth,
water is wet, snow is cold, towels just out of the dryer are warm and soft...

In PEACE
~~MM

Seasonal Scissor Fun

For those of you who have children who love to cut with scissors, I've got some ideas for you!
Starting with the one pictured here: Cutting ever-green boughs! Not only is this a wonderful practical life exercise but your classroom or home will smell wonderful! The children will enjoy snipping the needles and filling a bowl, and later the cut needles can be added with crushed cloves and dried orange peels for a seasonal potpourri.

At the Montessori School I visit, children make seasonal potpourri pouches. They work as a classroom community to make the potpourri in various stages, then when all the yummy smelly ingredients have been combined to make a potpourri, they spoon it into the center of a square shaped piece of fabric and gather all four corners, securing with a pipe-cleaner with a bell on it.

I love this classroom tradition! Sometimes teachers are blessed with a season potpourri pouch gift, given to them by a small friend who knows "it's all about the process" and will leave school with a jingle in their pocket. Many times I have come home with such a treasure to hang upon our family tree. I just might have to make these with my kids here at home this year!
(Pictures will follow.)

Other fun ways to practice using scissors:
Making garlands!
With a bold marker draw straight or dashed lines for the child to use a guide while cutting strips of colored paper (stiff paper works best/card stock). After color strips are cut, they can be made into paper rings to link with contrasting colors ex: red and green, using tape or stapler. These paper garlands can be used to decorate almost anything, a doorway, a tree, a mantel. Another idea, make a paper link chain with just enough links as days are left until Christmas or New Year, your child can then 'cut' one paper link each day.

Greeting Card Collages:
Cutting up greeting cards and last year's calendar. This type of paper is stiff and easier to cut than regular paper. The fun pictures are often interesting to young children and after the cutting is done, the gluing can begin! Make a holiday collage from the bits of cards.

Most important: Have fun and enjoy one another.
In PEACE
~~MM